Human Core (V2)
by Lyokion
Summary: AU. After waking up with no memories, Toby is soon taken in by Dr. O'Shay to try to recover and live a semi-normal life. But when Toby starts to find secrets that Dr. O'Shay has tried to bury, distrust builds, and soon he realizes where he truly stands.


**A/N:** I've decided, with the help of my dear friend Red, to post this as a completely new story so you can read the old version and the newer version! I honestly believe this one is much better, but I'll let you be the judges!~

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 **Chapter 1**

" _Wake up, Toby!"_

My eyes snapped open. A dark, starlit sky met my vision, surrounded on the edges by tall grass and flowers, stirred by a slight wind. It was then that I noticed the ends of the plants were singed, and an eerie orange glow was coming from somewhere behind me. I blinked to try to get my eyes to adjust better. Where was I?

Sitting up and looking behind me, I noticed that the field was ablaze; chunks of building materials littered the ground smoldering. What was happening? I tried to stand up, but fell face first into the dirt. That wasn't good. The heat of the fire was getting worse. Getting onto my hands and knees, I noticed that some of my skin had spots of ash on it, and some places were burnt. Was I somehow connected with this fire?

The clouds of smoke were drifting closer, making me cough as it started to collect in my lungs. I resorted to crawling forward, trying to cover my nose and mouth while moving. A strange humming noise filled the air, and I froze, peering up into the sky as if on instinct.

A set of double lights floated through the clouds of smoke. I noticed it was a machine flying in the sky, colored vibrantly with different hues of yellow. The machine dropped closer to the ground and made swooping patterns across the field. I got the impression that it was...almost _looking_ for something? As it came closer, I realized exactly what the machine was. It was a hover-car.

It landed about twelve yards away from where I sat, closer to the roaring flames. I pondered to myself why the person inside was not afraid of the fire, but I let it slide. Getting away was my first priority. As I continued crawling forward and away from the fire, I heard a _thwump_ behind me, identifying that as a car door. I looked towards the machine as best as I could through the field of grass. A large man stood by the passenger's side of the vehicle, his eyes wide and his mouth open as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

My curiosity began to grow. Who was this man? Why was he here? Would he know what had happened? I slowly stood on wobbly legs, still holding my hand to my face. A wave of dizziness crashed over me and I swayed, nearly falling again, but I managed to stand my ground this time. The dizziness soon vanished, to my relief, though I felt tired. Drained, even.

With shaky limbs, I gradually made my way back towards the man, ignoring the feelings of terror while getting closer to the fire. His back was facing towards me as I neared. White tufts of hair stuck out like clouds around his head, covering his ears. When I was a few yards away from the man, I stopped approaching.

"Tenma… What have you done?" he muttered, his hand wiping his face in dismay. "Where have you gone…?"

I opened my mouth to alert the man to my presence, but all that came out were heavy and wet coughs. He whipped around instantly, terrified at the sound, although he seemed to visibly relax when he saw me. "Toby… Is that you? Y-you're alive…!" he breathed.

 _Is that my name? It must be,_ I thought. Shaking, my legs finally succumbed to my weariness and I collapsed to my knees. The man darted forward and scooped me up in his arms. I could hardly move as my eyes began drooping shut, the smoke getting to me.

"Don't worry, Toby. I'll take care of you now," the man said determinedly, turning towards the hover-car.

I wanted to know more, but as I was falling into unconsciousness, the words wouldn't come out. The last thing I glimpsed was him putting me into the backseat of the car.

~0~0~0~0~

 _I opened my eyes to a bright light shining down from above me. I tried shield my eyes with my arm but found that I couldn't. Everything was blurry. I looked downward and noticed that my arms and legs were strapped to whatever I was laying on._

 _I began to panic, struggling to move my body, but found that I couldn't move at all._ What is going on?! _I wanted to scream, but no words would come out. A sudden shape blocked out the light and I could hardly make out its features. It looked to be a man with brown hair and a white lab coat. Dread started to befall me, and my eyes widened._ Don't you touch me! _I shouted in my head, wanting to scream, struggle, do_ something _\- yet nothing would happen. All I could do was watch._

 _The man leaned down to my face, and I could make out a crazed gleam in his eyes. "You've opened your eyes!" he laughed. "Well, that's a good sign, yes… Very good. Although, you can't respond to much yet...no." He pulled back and the light blinded me once more._

 _I wanted whatever this was to end, but I couldn't do anything about it. Vaguely, I wondered if this was perhaps the same man that saved me from the fire, but that man was heavyset and had white hair. This man was skinny and tall, with brown hair and a goatee._

 _The man returned, holding some sort of object with a glowing blue center. He flicked the object and some of the liquid seeped out. As he drew closer to me with the object coming down at my arm, I realized it was a syringe._ Hey-

 _He shoved it under my skin._

 _The liquid coursed through my veins with a pain so intense, I thought I was burning alive. My skin was bubbling. Scorching._ Melting-

"GYAAAH!" I screamed, lurching forward.

A loud snort met my ears and I turned to see the heavyset man sitting beside me in a chair. He looked around wildly. "Eh! What's that?" he exclaimed.

I clutched my heaving chest, leaned forward and listened to my heart beat, as the world slowly came to. _It was all a dream? That...wasn't real…? But..._ I breathed a sigh of relief.

"You're awake!" the man said, standing and coming over to my side. Seeing my expression, his brows furrowed. "What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?"

I glanced over his features, and noticed he was an older gentleman, perhaps somewhere in his late 40's or early 50's, and bore a strikingly large nose. I blinked, feeling that _somehow_ I knew this man. I took another deep breath and nodded, looking away from him and at the blankets of the bed.

"I'm sorry to hear that, son," he murmured.

 _Son? Is he...my father?_ I wondered. "Father?" I asked, my voice hoarse and my throat dry.

"Oh, heavens no, Toby!" he chuckled. "I'm not your father."

"Then-?" I started, only to be cut off by an onset of coughs.

The man reached for something on the nightstand - a glass of water. "I thought you might be thirsty when you woke." He handed it to me.

I rubbed my throat with the fingers of one hand while reaching for the glass with the other. I drank it greedily, some of it slipping out of the sides of my mouth and dribbling down the shirt I was wearing. _I don't remember wearing a shirt...though…_ I pondered as I gave the glass back to the man.

"How does your throat feel now?"

"Fine…" I answered, still rubbing my throat. "Thank you…"

"You're welcome, my dear boy. Now, do you know who I am?" he asked. I stared at him for a long moment before shaking my head. His eyes saddened and he looked down at the bedspread. "Is that so… Well, I'm just glad you're alright." He turned his gaze back to me with a smile. "I've already taken you to the hospital to make sure you didn't have any more ailments. Despite the memory loss, you're as clean as a whistle. They told me to have you take it easy for a few days."

I stared at my lap, frowning. "Where am I now?"

"You're at my house," he answered. "I'm going to take care of you from now on."

I looked at him, unsure of what to make of that statement. "And who are you?"

"Oh! Where are my manners?" The man cleared his throat. "My name is Hiroshi O'Shay, but you can just call me Dr. O'Shay. I work for the Ministry of Science as their Minister of Science - a mouthful I know," he added with a wink and a smile.

"And...how do you know me? How did you...know where to find me?"

"Well, I suppose I should start at the beginning." Dr. O'Shay sat up straighter. "Back in the day, I was an understudy to your father, Dr. Umataro Tenma, and we were great friends; could never be separated. Until your mother...died in a terrible and tragic accident," he sighed. "Your father's mental health declined for the next few years after that, and...one day he never came in to work. I went looking for he and you, but you were both nowhere to be found; gone. That was about a year ago."

"A year?" My brows furrowed in worry.

"Yes," he answered with a nod. "I never stopped looking for you both. It wasn't until I received an anonymous tip about a possible sighting of Umataro that I finally found you. It took the longest time, but I'm glad you're alive."

"But...my father? Is he…?" I dreaded the answer.

"Unfortunately...the place where I found you was where Umataro had a rumored secret lab. It was gone by the time I arrived, burned to a crisp, and I never found him," Dr. O'Shay sighed, his eyes glistening with unwavering tears.

I waited in silence for Dr. O'Shay to start up again, but he never did. I twiddled my thumbs on my lap, the information given to me sinking in. Both of my parents were gone, my memories were missing from the past however many years of my life, and the nightmare… I swallowed, shivering as the memory of it all wandered back into my waking world. "Um…" I began, trying to figure out where to begin with the rest of my questions. Dr O'Shay silently awaited my speech, blinking at me with a fatherly tenderness. "So...my er… My nightmare…" I sighed, looking up at him. "It felt real. Like really...really real. And I'm scared - about what it meant, I mean."

"What was it about?" he asked. I glanced back to the bedspread and scratched the side of my face with my hand. "If you don't mind telling me, that is," Dr. O'Shay added.

I sighed and the seconds ticked by as he waited patiently for my answer. "I was…in a room of some sort," I began. He listened intently as I recalled the events of the nightmare. It wasn't until I got to the part where the man brought out the glowing blue syringe that his expression suddenly darkened, and I wondered if he knew something. "Doctor…?" I said with hesitance.

Dr. O'Shay turned his head away and muttered under his breath, but I couldn't catch what he said. Instead, he turned back to me and said, "And you said it felt real?" I nodded with another shudder and he sighed. "It was probably a memory of your past, although I'm not quite sure of what," Dr. O'Shay replied.

"What do you think it means?" I asked, worried of the answer.

He shook his head. "I could only give you a guess. Although, I really think we should stop here with the information for today," he added. "The doctors told me that too much info at once could be unhealthy. I promise I'll tell you more tomorrow." I opened my mouth to ask something, but he broke me off. "If you have any more of those dreams, I'd like you to tell me right away, alright?"

"O-okay...but what about me? My name? How old am I?"

"I can tell you that stuff," he chuckled. "Your name is Tobias Tenma and you're 15 years old." O'Shay rubbed my shoulder. "You've got quite a lot to take in right now." He stood from the chair and faced the door, turning his head to look back at me. "Hungry?"

As if on cue, my stomach rumbled in response. Dr. O'Shay seemed surprised. "Uh, maybe."

"Alright, I'll start cooking you some breakfast!" O'Shay headed towards the door. "It's going to take me a few, so you should probably clean yourself up from...you know, what happened yesterday."

"Ah… Yeah, probably…" I muttered, ripping the covers off of my body, revealing my ashy legs. "Oh… Um, sorry about the sheets…"

"Oh, no worries, Toby! Those can be taken care of quickly," O'Shay answered. "Your shower is through that door over there," he added with a point to the corner of the room.

"M-my shower? You mean…"

"Yes, Toby, this will be your room from now on! It's about time I used up the spare room, I think!" The doctor headed towards the door and quickly turned with a, "I'll bring you some clean clothes once I get started." Seeing my nod, Dr. O'Shay left the room.

After I finished my shower, I stepped out and began drying myself off with the towel. I looked up into the mirror on the wall, and wiped my hand across the surface. A sense of familiarity filled me. I traced my hand along my jawline, staring into my pale brown eyes.

 _Flash!_

 _I stood in the bathroom brushing my teeth and staring at my reflection. The room I was in was slightly different from Dr. O'Shay's home, the colors from around me drained; more of a gray. I saw that I looked a little younger than what I appeared now, probably in my early teens. Spitting out the contents of my mouth into the sink, I rinsed and cleaned myself up. Glancing back into the mirror, I stared into my eyes._ _I couldn't get the haunted, empty gaze that stared back at me out of my head._

I gasped and planted my hands on the vanity top. The lights were too bright and I closed my eyes. My head spun. _Was that a memory?_ I wondered. _Why was it so gloomy?_ I dropped my gaze and began drying off my hair.

Glancing in the mirror again, I noticed my hair was forming two cowlicks; one on the top and one towards the back. I tried to flatten them, but they stood right back up. Frowning, I put some water on the top one, but it sprung up again. With a heavy sigh, I left them as they were and left the room. There were some fresh clothes on the bed, as well as new sheets and blankets. I glanced around the room and saw a clock on the nightstand. 10:05 A.M.. I didn't even know what time it had been when I woke up.

Putting on the clothes, I began my way out the door. A hallway greeted me, the walls painted a faded mahogany color. It had a nice feeling to it, along with the scent of pine and cinnamon. Glancing down the right side of the hallway, I saw another room with the door slightly ajar. I peered into it and noticed it was another bedroom. Feeling as if I was invading personal space, I backed out quickly and turned to go the other way, rounding the corner. I saw a shorter hallway with two doors on the left; to the right, I could see another larger room over the wall through a small opening.

Sticking my head slightly over the rise, I noticed the living room of Dr. O'Shay's home. A three-seat couch sat next to an ottoman in the corner of the room, a large window over the top of it. A loveseat sat in front of a faded honey maple table, as well as a side table of the same color next to it. A framed photograph sat atop the larger table, followed by a small vase. The photo was of Dr. O'Shay getting an award, and the vase held a single white lily. The fireplace flickered with a faux fire, and a holographic monitor sat over it, playing an older movie in black-and-white. To the right of everything was another room with a cut out in the wall.

An enticing smell made its way to my nose as I made my way down the steps and into the next room. Dr. O'Shay stood in the room - the kitchen - stirring something in a pan. He turned with a warm smile, hearing me enter. "Oh, you're right on time! Go ahead and have a seat at the table out there, Toby."

I nodded and turned around to find the table. The furnishing sat underneath the overhang of the stairs; a small light fixture hung over it. Atop the table were two plates and some silverware already set. I sat down at the spot nearest the wall and pulled my chair in. Dr. O'Shay made his way over to me with the pan of food and set it on a cooling pad in the middle. I looked inside to see two omelettes and my stomach growled with hunger again.

"Go ahead, Toby. Help yourself!" Dr. O'Shay told me as he sat down.

"It looks delicious. Thank you, Doctor." I took one of the omelettes and set it onto my plate.

After I was done eating, Dr. O'Shay took my plate and headed off into the kitchen to put the dishes away. I sighed and leaned back in my chair, watching the monitor with disinterest. Time seemed to flash by in an instant as I watched the movie play out.

 _Chirp, chirp._

I frowned, furrowing my brows. What was that? Glancing into the kitchen for Dr. O'Shay, I got up from the table, and listened for the noise again.

 _Chirp. Chirp, chirp._

I turned my head in the direction of it. The noise was coming from a room at the end of the hallway downstairs. The door was cracked open, and a blue hue illuminated the room. Dizzy, I staggered and fell against the wall on the left, shuddering as I remembered the blue liquid trickling through my veins. Propping myself up with my arm, I began to breathe heavily. My forehead was breaking out into a cold sweat, and I felt sick to my stomach.

 _Chirp… Chirp…_

I shimmied my way down the hall and creaked open the door slowly. A computer setup sat in the room, and I realized the chirping noise was coming from the computer itself - the monitor a bright blue. I awaited for something to happen. I swallowed, my vision blurring, and head spinning.

A growling noise sounded to my right and I quickly turned to see a set of bright red eyes in the shadowy corner of the room. I froze upon sight of the eyes, paralyzed with fear.

"I'll be watching you, Tobias..." a voice whispered, coming from the corner. Suddenly, the eyes lunged for me, revealing it to be a large robot dog. Its teeth snapped at my face and I-

-woke up with a gasp at the dinner table.

"Toby! Are you alright?" Dr. O'Shay exclaimed from beside me. His hand was on my shoulder, and it seemed that he had been shaking me.

"Wh-what…?" I asked, my voice faltering. I felt my forehead and sure enough, the cold sweat was there. My heart dropped into my stomach. _What was that?_

"Are you alright?" Dr. O'Shay repeated, his eyes worried as he stared down at me. I turned to him, my eyes unfocused but wide open in terror. His expression hardened and he pulled me to my feet. "Come with me, Toby. Lie down on the couch."

I obliged, pulling my feet along the floor as the dizziness swept over me once more. Plopping on the couch and laying my head on the armrest, I panted from the exertion, unable to speak.

"Did you have another nightmare?" Dr. O'Shay asked. When I didn't answer, he scooted closer to me. "Toby, listen to me." I turned my head slightly in his direction. "You need to tell me what just happened."

I swallowed, my mouth suddenly cotton-dry. "Robot...dog… Said it would be...watching me."

"Robot dog?" Dr. O'Shay muttered.

"Red eyes." I pointed to my face.

Dr. O'Shay sat back, his hand on his chin. "It's plausible...but not impossible. We might still have a chance…" he murmured.

"A chance? What do you mean?"

He turned back to me. "Your father might still be alive," he replied. "When we received an anonymous tip on his previous location, we found some notes that he had left behind. We learned that he had stolen some pretty precious materials, and had been working on some underground projects, selling some of them through the black market. He's a wanted criminal, Toby."

My heart was pounding. _My father? A wanted criminal?_ I waited for Dr. O'Shay to explain himself more, but he stood and began walking away. I grabbed his sleeve and yanked it down hard. He staggered back, nearly falling over, staring at me with something akin to fear. I froze up. How could I have been that strong? "I-I'm sorry…" I muttered. "I didn't mean to."

I released him as he turned back around, sitting back on the ottoman. "Promise me that you'll tell me when you have more of these visions. It could lead us to Tenma - to your father."

I sat up, feeling a little better. "Alright… I promise."

"Good. Are you feeling better?" Dr. O'Shay asked.

"Yeah, but I'm still pretty tired… Do you mind if I go back to sleep?" I asked, stretching and yawning.

"Oh, go right ahead! I'll wake you up around dinnertime."

I nodded and he began walking past the kitchen and into the room at the end of the hallway. I shuddered despite myself, standing and going back up the stairs. Upon entering my room, I glanced at the clock, taking note that it was 11 A.M.. Climbing under the freshly clean covers, I snuggled deep into a comfortable position, but found myself unable to fall asleep.

Tossing and turning, I opened my eyes again to see that the clock read 2 P.M.. I sighed, burying my face into my pillow, willing sleep to come.

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 **A/N:** The reason I had Toby's "dream" of the red-eyed dog not in italics was because the line was blurred between dream and reality. Let me know what you guys think!

I've rewritten this chapter a bit from its original, as I had received some criticism :) I hope you guys like it better!


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